The present invention relates to a microfluidic control apparatus and a method of assembling the microfluidic control apparatus, and more particularly, to a microfluidic control apparatus including a control means and a microfluidic control chip that stores a reaction solution.
Research has been actively carried out on microfluidic control chips that are tools for performing biochemical reactions thereon. To use a microfluidic control chip as a biochemical reactor, the microfluidic control chip should be adapted to induce fluids including a reaction solution, a sample, and a buffer into the microfluidic control chip, and to perform various microfluid-controlling operations, including mixing, transferring, branching, separating, and washing, at the microfluidic control chip. The microfluid-controlling operations are performed at the microfluidic control chip with various control methods according to applied force such as mechanical force, pneumatic pressure, hydraulic force, surface tension, gravity, magnetic force, electric force, optical denaturation force, chemical reaction force, and thermal stress.
In addition, research has been carried out on microfluidic control apparatuses that include a microfluidic control chip and an external control means to induce or supply fluids including a reaction solution, a sample, and a buffer into the microfluidic control chip. Such microfluidic control apparatuses are realized with the various control methods according to applied force.
A microfluidic control apparatus is required to accurately control, through a large-volume, external fluidal control means, a micro volume of fluid in a microfluidic control chip. To this end, it is necessary to seal the control means and the microfluidic control chip and to prevent volume loss thereof. It is also necessary to easily detach and attach the microfluidic control chip from and to the control means to enable use of disposable microfluidic control chips.